But she had to admit that she was already looking forward to seeing him that night.

The firm closed at noon for the annual Christmas party. Marisa had handed Charlie Wellman her copy of Block's confession as soon as she got to work that day, so there was more than the Yuletide to celebrate. When Tracy showed up after her last cla.s.s with a wrapped package, she found Marisa still in her office, on the phone.

Tracy, dressed in a red suit and wearing an elf's hat, waved frantically from the doorway.

"Okay, I'll send you a hard copy of that first thing after the holiday," Marisa said into the phone. She listened for a second and said, "Right, goodbye, and Merry Christmas." She replaced the receiver.

"Fa la la la la," Tracy said. "I hate to tell you this, but there's a party going on out there. You're the only one still working." She waltzed into the room and planted the gift on Marisa's desk blotter.

"You've got the spirit," Marisa said.

"Sandy Carter asked me to the New Year's Eve dance at the Eaglesmere Country Club," Tracy confided, chuckling wickedly.

"Congratulations. I have a little bulletin myself."

"What?" Tracy flicked a tinkling bell on one of the Christmas wall decorations with her fingernail.

"Jack is here."

"Where?" Tracy glanced around wildly as if she expected to find him stashed in a corner of the room.

"He came to my house first thing this morning. And guess what he gave me?"

Tracy sat in Marisa's client chair. "I'm all ears."

Marisa told Tracy everything that had happened at her house that day. When she finished Tracy asked excitedly, "What are you going to do tonight?"

"I don't know."

"Well, he's coming back, isn't he?"

"He said so."

"Don't look at me," Tracy said, waving her hand. "I would throw myself into his arms and drag him off to bed, so I'm a bad one to give advice."

"I have to be sensible."

"Oh, please. You're always sensible. Try reckless for once, it just might work."

"I was reckless enough back in Florida for ten people."

"And wound up with this gorgeous man madly in love with you. Big mistake, huh?"

The door to the hall opened, admitting the sound of "Jingle Bell Rock" and party merriment into the room.

"What are you two doing in here?" Charlie demanded. "Mark Dempsey is dancing with the dermatologist from the fifth floor and Judge Jerrold is about to do the limbo under Sadie's mop handle."

"Wouldn't want to miss that," Tracy observed dryly.

"Be right with you, Charlie," Marisa said.

"I should imagine that you'd be in a celebrating mood," Charlie said to Marisa and winked, pulling the door closed behind him.

"I think he's drunk," Tracy said.

Marisa reached for the gift box on her desk. "I sent your present to your house," she said, tearing into the wrapping.

"A complete set of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, I trust?" Tracy said brightly.

"Nothing so educational."

"Goody."

Marisa tore off the last of the silver paper impatiently and gasped with delight.

"Indigo Sky!" she exclaimed, uns.c.r.e.w.i.n.g the crystal stopper of a tiny bottle of her favorite perfume.

"It's only toilet water, a minuscule amount at that. It's all I could afford. But I know how much you like it."

"How thoughtful," Marisa murmured, touched.

"Now get out of here and go home to that wonderful man," Tracy said, rising.

"I should go out to the party and mix a little."

"Oh, forget about that. I'll make your excuses and mix enough for both of us. Get going."

Marisa took her coat from the hook behind her door and followed Tracy's advice.

As soon as Marisa pulled into her driveway she knew that something was up. All the lights were on in the house and there was a strange car parked in the slush by the curb. When she got out cautiously she saw Jack appear in the front window, then come to the door.

"What are you doing in here?" Marisa demanded.

"That ancient lock you've got on your door wouldn't keep out a clever four-year-old," he answered briskly, stepping aside to admit her to her own house. He was wearing tailored dark slacks and a cream wool pullover that made his dark eyes and hair vivid in the softly lit room.

Marisa stopped and stared in surprise. A completely decorated tree stood next to the fireplace, where a cheerful fire was burning. The coffee table was set with two of her mother's crystal gla.s.ses and a bottle of champagne on ice, and the enticing smell of a cooking roast drifted in from the direction of the kitchen.

"Did you do all this?" she asked in wonderment.

"n.o.body else."

"That fireplace doesn't work," she said, walking up to it and peering closely at the flames.

"It does now. The flue was stuck. I fixed it."

"And where did you get that tree?"

"Finley's Department Store. Christmas Eve special, fully decorated, half price."

"I see. And you've learned to cook, too?"

"Speedy Gourmet on Tenth Street. You can buy anything you want already prepared, all you have to do is heat it up."

"Amazing. You must have gone through town like a tornado. And the wine? Let me guess. Lake Country Liquors."

"Right the first time."

Marisa dropped her briefcase and purse on a chair. "What is all this in aid of, Jack? I mean, it's very nice and everything..."

"It's Christmas, Marisa," he said quietly. "Can't you relax a little and give me a break?"

"What do you want?" she said flatly.

"Another chance," he said simply. "I love you. I'm sorry for what I did and I want another chance."

Marisa sat in her grandfather's old easy chair near the fire. "We didn't have a little spat, Jack. You took someone else's word over mine on an important issue, and when I begged you to listen to me you simply wouldn't do it. You insulted me and..."

"Please don't remind me of my asinine behavior," he interrupted forlornly.

"What I'm saying is..."

"I know what you're saying. You think it wasn't an isolated incident and things like that will keep happening again and again."

"Will you kindly stop interrupting me?"

He sat across from her on the sofa and folded his arms, his expression bleak.

"You really hurt me, Jack."

He turned his head, looking away from her.

"I know," he said, very quietly.

"What made you change your mind finally and go to see Randall Block?"

He sighed. "After you left Florida I had a chance to calm down and think things over, and I just couldn't believe that you had resorted to bribery."

"Gee, it seems to me that I tried to tell you the same thing," Marisa said lightly. "More than once."

"Spare me the sarcasm, Marisa, this is hard enough as it is," Jack said wearily.

"Go on," she said.

"So I tracked Block back to Washington and had a discussion with him."

"I see. Has he been discharged from the hospital yet?" Marisa asked pointedly.

"I didn't harm him. I wanted him to be in perfect health to testify about his actions."

"So how did you threaten him?"

"What does it matter? I got him to tell the truth and that's what counts."

"You should have known I would never do such a thing. If you really loved me you wouldn't have credited that stupid story for a minute," Marisa responded, the old anger and hurt surging inside her again.

The both looked up as the sound of singing outside became audible and then came gradually closer, reaching a crescendo just outside the front door.

"Carolers," Marisa said. "I have some cookies in the kitchen."

She went to get the tray and came back into the living room, opening the door and distributing the treats to the children on the porch. Jack watched as she chatted with them and they rewarded her with a shaky version of "Silent Night."

"You seem to know all of them," he commented, as she closed the door behind the departing group.

"It's a small town. I went to grade school with some of their parents."

"You must think about having children of your own," he said.

"Sometimes."

"Want to get started on it tonight?" he asked.

Marisa resumed her seat and glared at him.

"Okay, bad joke. Where were we?"

"I believe I was saying that if you really loved me you would never have listened to Block's lies in the first place."

"I was hoping you'd skip over that part."

"I think I deserve an explanation," Marisa persisted, her tone as firm as her gaze.

"It's complicated."

"Oh, it must be."

He strode over to the fireplace and leaned on the mantel. "I've always found it difficult to trust 'the suits'. You know, people like you, establishment types."

"Thank you."

"You know what I mean. You come from this tintype town, you have education and background on your side, you were representing the government in this case, you came straight from the places where I had never fit in my whole life."

"Next we'll be tracing my bloodlines back to good Queen Bess," Marisa observed to the air.

He closed his eyes. "I guess I found it difficult to accept that a sophisticated woman like you would want me. It was easier to think that you were using me."